Sunday, 1 July 2012

So, I had to wait till I celebrated my first 4 weeks of nicotine free life, which was last Saturday to write this post, or else it won't have any credibility on it right? Oh, and by the way, few of my friends are joining the #noMoreCig movement; to quit smoking cold turkey. I'm proud of them because they have the balls to do it. It's hard, I know this first hand. But as friends, we'd have each other's back as we go along

Anyways, let me break it down on a weekly basis:

Week 1

The first week is the most painful week. First you will get cough and phlegm. Lots of phlegm. It was like you had swallowed the devil's jizz and you have to spit it back out. Prepare your cough syrup, honey, and warm water to accompany your nights. Apparently, this symptom is because your body is regulating itself and it's trying to get rid of the excessive mucus from your throat, as well as the tar build up in your lungs. Think of it as a change of management; some things have got to go in order to restore balance.

After the cough and phlegm, comes the mild fever. Now this differs from person to person. I had a very mild fever, whereas I heard some people even got hospitalized. So it really depends on your immune system. It will go away in 2 to 3 days.

Next, the PMS. Yes, men will have the worst PMS ever. Like they have a vagina, and a little bit of sand got stuck in it. These ex-smokers will be easily irritated, easily annoyed, can easily lose their temper. It's all in the mind, yes. But please, you can't expect us to have super power mind, can you? In the first week, it will be bad. But as the cravings slowly disappear, so will the PMS. These ex-smokers are so used to smoke at least once in an hour. Going for a few days without a cigarette will definitely have an effect to their mind.

Your body will get tired easily and your mind will have short attention span. To combat this, don't take caffeine. Caffeine won't help. Drink lots of warm water, and take short naps in between. Sleep more than you usually do. You will need all the extra energy and concentration to go through the days.

And last but not least. THE CRAVINGS. God, my mouth watered at the thought of having a cigarette after each heavy meal; breakfast, lunch and dinner. And not to mention, the pooping sessions. How do you combat this? Well for me, I tweet more, and occasionally munch on chewing gums. Do anything that could take your mind off the cigarette. It will be a constant battle because your mind will keep thinking about it. Take 3 deep breaths when the craving comes. It will go away in 3-5 minutes. Be strong

Week 2

The PMS is still there. The cough and phlegm are still there. But they aren't as bad as the first week. You'll still need that extra sleep especially if you drive a lot. Spend more time in a non-smoking area. Try to avoid smoking crowds. Eat in smaller portions, but often. The momentum is building. You can't waste your effort last week by quitting now. Be patient, be strong.

You will notice that food will become tastier, and you will be more sensitive to perfumes. Your gum will feel a bit tight. That's because your taste buds and respiratory system are healing, replacing the dead cells. And nicotine had shrunk the blood vessels in your mouth. Now that you've stopped smoking, slowly, it is expanding and repairing itself. It's amazing how your body is repairing itself after the extensive damage you have done to it.

Week 3 & 4

No more phlegm and cough. PMS is going away. Your body is close to working normally now. The only thing that is still bothering you is the craving to light up a stick. Try inhaling a puff now. You will feel that the smell is awful, and you don't like it at all. That's because your system is recuperating and healing. Doing sports now is not a bad idea, as it helps replace the carbon monoxide in your hemoglobin with oxygen at a faster rate.

The momentum is already there. Keep it up. Soon you will no longer feel the need to smoke anymore. In these few weeks, you're gonna need a strong and supportive partner, as well as something to distract your mind off cigarettes.

Moving forward

Congratulations. You have made it into your first month of not smoking. Set a milestone, and don't forget to reward yourself with something, i.e: 1 month, 3 months, half a year, 1 year. Stay positive, and remember that the pain that you're going through is going to be worth the extra years in your life. Good luck, and if you do relapse, just keep calm, and do it again.

Tweet me at @aizadfahmy if you need advice or someone to talk to. I'll be there for you and help you any way I can

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